[stale2002]

Yes it was. It was earned by the person who made the money.

Would you rather all the wealthy people in the world just blow all their money on yachts or something?

Because that is the alternative. Why bother saving money if it is all just going to be confiscated when you die. Instead you should just blow it all on ridiculous things that help nobody but yourself in the immediate time frame.

[MisterBastahrd]

Yes, I'd rather them blow all their money on yachts. Because then their money would be entering the economy where it would be used to pay for goods and services and employees.

You know what happens to the money when the government taxes an estate?

That money gets put back into the economy in the next calendar year. While it might be good for individuals to have savings, it's better for the economy when money gets spent. The reason that Gary Cohn got so many shrugs when he asked CEOs how many of them would expand businesses with the money from the tax cuts is simple: they hire more people when they have more demand. Making rich people richer or giving rich kids more of their parents' wealth does jack shit for the economy.

[mmierz]

It doesn’t help “nobody”. It helps people that build yachts. And then the people who sell things to the people that build yachts. And on, and on.

Working people spend their money.

[stale2002]

So would you rather yacht builders get more money, or would you rather people's children get a good education because their parents paid for it?

[mLuby]

That's a false dichotomy, since the yacht builders will be taxed and taxes pay for a good education for all (in a far less arbitrary way than wealthy parents' charity).

[dd36]

Or they spend it on politicians.